AirAsia to offer first direct Bangkok-Kochi flights

Thai AirAsia will launch daily direct flights between Bangkok and Kochi from 16 May 2016, marking the first direct connection between the cities.

Flights will depart the Thai capital’s Don Mueang Airport at 2155 and arrive in Kochi at 0045. The return service will then leave the Kerala city at 0130 and arrive back in Bangkok at 0655.

As with all Thai AirAsia flights, the new service will be operated using an all-economy Airbus A320 aircraft.

Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, stated the new route forms part of his airline’s plans to connect to India’s economically important industrial hubs and port towns.

“The AirAsia brand is already familiar to the people of India following the success of our Chennai and Bangalore (Bengaluru) routes, which both saw load factors of 84% in 2015. Opening a direct flight to Kochi was very enticing and we expect to achieve load factors over 85% within the first three months of the route’s operation as well as further growth in the future,” Bijleveld added.

Presently, Thai AirAsia operates five weekly flights direct from Bangkok to Chennai and the same frequency to Bengaluru.